33rd Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction exceeds expectations

By Admin | 1 October 2017

Diversity and innovative winemaking reaped rich rewards at the 33rd Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction at Spier in the Stellenbosch Winelands over the weekend, with total sales exceeding R13,2 million and a new record price for a case of wine.

Total sales of R13 223 200, just under last year’s record breaking auction, coupled with an increased spend by international buyers, once again underlined the prowess of the wines made exclusively for the auction by members of the Guild.

Danie Steytler’s Kaapzicht Estate The Ultimate Vision 2015 fetched the highest price ever recorded of R16 600 for a 6-bottle case, his last auction wine before he retires as a Producing Member of the Guild. The highest bid of R7 000 for a white wine went to Kevin Grant’s Ataraxia Under the Gavel Chardonnay 2016.

The hospitality industry was well represented amongst the top buyers with Tsogo Sun taking pole position for the fourth consecutive year with total purchases of almost R1,7 million, followed by Restaurant Mosaic, Grootbos, Singita and Signature Restaurant.

“The results of our 2017 auction, in light of the current economic climate, bode well for the South African wine industry as a whole and prove that there is still room for quality top tier wines that push the envelope in terms of innovation, creativity and diversity of styles,” says Miles Mossop, Chairman of the Cape Winemakers Guild.

Auction buyers showed great generosity again this year, supporting the charity auction in aid of the Guild’s Protégé Programme for the development of talented young winemakers and viticulturists through the Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Development Trust. This year’s charity item, 44 magnum 1,5 litre bottles of wine from all the Guild members who had a wine on auction, was purchased for R140 000 by Ed Zeeman of Morukuru Family. In addition, the silent auction raised R282 900 on the day.

The auction, conducted by Henré Hablutzel of Hofmeyr Mills Auctioneers for the 20th consecutive year, attracted a total of 142 buyers comprising 119 local and 23 foreign buyers. In total 2 962 cases (6 x 750ml equivalent) were sold at an average price of R4 464 per case and an average price per bottle of R744.

The bulk of the wines, 79%, was snatched up by local buyers with 21% bought by foreign buyers. The countries represented included the United Kingdom, Denmark, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Belgium, Namibia, Germany, Luxembourg, USA, Dubai, France, Australia and the Czech Republic.

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Last year I caught the winemaking bug. I was invited out to spend time in the cellars of four of the leading producers in Elgin, South Africa's coolest-climate wine region, which is currently a bit of a hotspot. In particular, Elgin is turning out some very fine Chardonnay. The brief experience of being in these cellars meant that when Peter-Allan Finlayson (of Crystallum and Gabrielskloof) invited me to spend some time at his place during vintage, I immediately cleared some time in my diary, and booked flights.

I fell in love with South Africa and the wines a few years ago. The recent MasterChef UK final took me right back to a holiday I had there. They went to the same Game Reserve that we stayed at and we also went to Reuben Riffel's restaurant in Franschhoek the night before my friends wedding - it was great to see Reuben as a guest judge too! Watching that episode seemed like the perfect excuse to open this beautiful bottle of Semillon from Boekenhoutskloof. What a delicious wine!